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It's okay to code on nights and weekends

tej.as

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Re: It's okay to code on nights and weekends

#11

Post by bee_rider »

threatofrain wrote: post #4
x0xrx wrote: post #3

A lot of people that are in tech because it’s a good job got pressured to make it their life. They reasonably pushed back, but the upshot was those of us that are passionate about programming as a hobby got pressured to not do it for fun. Both things are unreasonable. You shouldn’t have to program for fun to get a job. You can be good at it as a profession only. You also should be allowed to love it as a vocation or…

As a hypothetical employer, should I be allowed to select for people who love programming because my internal metrics say they're an awesome fit? If so, then that's where the fundamental pressure is going to come from. So we can be on HN and sing "Oh, you do you!" but that won't relieve the fundamental source of pressure.

You can, but I think it might be a little hard to do so. I mean it is a well known thing and so people will game it, right? We have people grinding levels leetcode now to trick you. Of course you are probably savvy to that. But who knows what else they’ll do? Getting a good job is a life-changing event, so they are very motivated to trick you…

I love programming. How much? I’ve written a bunch of little programs that nobody else will ever see, just for fun and just for me. Why? I just enjoy doing it. It’s more like knitting than studying. Sometimes it will come in handy—once my boss had an idea an I got to say “oh, I actually implemented that for fun the other day,” which was very funny, but it isn’t intended to be useful and 99% of the time it is just a waste of time.

Re: It's okay to code on nights and weekends

#12

Post by ghaff »

x0xrx wrote: post #3

A lot of people that are in tech because it’s a good job got pressured to make it their life. They reasonably pushed back, but the upshot was those of us that are passionate about programming as a hobby got pressured to not do it for fun. Both things are unreasonable. You shouldn’t have to program for fun to get a job. You can be good at it as a profession only. You also should be allowed to love it as a vocation or…

I agree with all that. But software development also often seems to have a strong thread that if you don't also do this for fun, you're not really A material--in a way that really doesn't apply to other engineering disciplines.

I don't see the same sort of pushback for people who do side-projects as a hobby.

Re: It's okay to code on nights and weekends

#14

Post by Apreche »

x0xrx wrote: post #3

A lot of people that are in tech because it’s a good job got pressured to make it their life. They reasonably pushed back, but the upshot was those of us that are passionate about programming as a hobby got pressured to not do it for fun. Both things are unreasonable. You shouldn’t have to program for fun to get a job. You can be good at it as a profession only. You also should be allowed to love it as a vocation or…

90% agree. Someone is a sucker if they work for their employer during their personal time. If someone wants to code for their employer by day and code for themselves by night, that’s great. I just hope they get enough sleep.

Re: It's okay to code on nights and weekends

#15

Post by knallfrosch »

hnuser123456 wrote: post #6

I have a non-coding day job and spend most of my time thinking about how to improve my projects when I get home, then code late into the night. Trying to get hired as a programmer somewhere, but part of me also worries it might exhaust me from coding on my own projects. If only I had enough spare time to build something worth monetizing while being able to pay the bills...

When working on useful projects with autonomy for money, you're not really losing out.

Re: It's okay to code on nights and weekends

#16

Post by boh »

x0xrx wrote: post #3

A lot of people that are in tech because it’s a good job got pressured to make it their life. They reasonably pushed back, but the upshot was those of us that are passionate about programming as a hobby got pressured to not do it for fun. Both things are unreasonable. You shouldn’t have to program for fun to get a job. You can be good at it as a profession only. You also should be allowed to love it as a vocation or…

The programmer succeeding because he loves to program is a "George Washington chopping the cherry tree" kind of anecdote Silicon Valley likes to represent themselves with. Nine out of 10 times, the fun kind of programming someone is doing during their nights and weekends has zero application to their professional life. Yes doing any kind of coding is a teaching moment, but living your life outside of a computer screen offers lessons as well.

Re: It's okay to code on nights and weekends

#17

Post by cph123 »

When I was a teenager and while studying at university I used to spend a lot of my spare time coding. Then after I got a job as a developer this dropped off quite quickly, opting instead to socialise and pursue other hobbies in that time.

Since becoming a manager at work less of my time is actual coding, and in the last 6 months or so I have started to code a lot more on my own projects and I'm really enjoying it. It feels like overall there is a certain desire/capacity for it, and if that is getting used up at work, so be it, if not, then it fills up outside of work hours.

Either way, each to their own. Some people would probably love to spend more time coding or on other hobbies but have other commitments like family to consider.

Re: It's okay to code on nights and weekends

#18

Post by stronglikedan »

tcoff91 wrote: post #8

I would love to code more on nights and weekends, but if I spend too long at the computer it makes my body hurt and feel bad.

The most ergonomic position is the next one. I have a mouse for each hand, and a track pad, and a sit/stand desk converter, and four chairs, some with and some without arms, and monitors on arms that can be easily repositioned. I'm always adjusting something, or using a different device or chair, and I alternate between sitting and standing a couple times each day. I also have a timer to remind me to stretch and takes walks once an hour. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you can code more on nights and weekends without spending too long at the computer (in the same position).

Re: It's okay to code on nights and weekends

#20

Post by robin_reala »

Waterluvian wrote: post #10

Stream of thoughts: - I recently had an hours-long screenshare with a MMO guild leader showing dozens of spreadsheets. I was bewildered until he said that this is the game for him. This stuff is fun . He loves it. You can love what people call "work." - I fell into a years-long trap of, "if is not advancing my career or my family, why would it ever be worth doing?" This led to depression and terrible downwards spiral…

Good old Eve Online.
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